Dupes, Designer Inspired and Saving While Wanting Luxury

It’s no secret that a girl like me loves a good handbag. I love the smell and feel of new leather that has yet to be broken in, glistening hardware that flickers in the presence of light and the child-like excitement that comes with debuting a new bag to the world.

In recent years I spent a great deal on these luxuries; forking out upwards of $1,500 per handbag a few times throughout the year, subsequently racking up a pretty hefty bill when it came time for my annual spending review.

In my previous blog post, Breaking Up With Louis Vuitton, I shared with readers how a trip to New York changed my outlook on luxury and what it meant to buy things for the purposes of functionality, style and longevity despite our fast-fashion culture. At one point in time, I shopped solely with the intention of proving that I had “it.”

“It” being access or the ability to purchase luxury goods, even if I didn’t love the items or they weren’t functional within my own wardrobe. I have no shame in admitting this as we all live, make mistakes and learn; I am just thankful I have grown past it. Moreover, in that period of reflection and purging my closet (thanks to minimalism), I learned how little I really needed to pull off a wide range of looks. I went from owning 32 luxury handbags to nine; it’s cringe worthy to consider just how much I used to own.

Anyways…

Fast-forward to now, where I still love swooning over the major fashion houses recent collections and splurging on a luxury bag every now and then, but know that I can create timeless, fashionable looks for less.

Here’s where it get’s good folks…

“Dupes” or designer inspired handbags have been my go-to in the last year or so. These handbags typically range from $100 to $300 and are a fraction (usually about 10%) of the price of the luxury handbag which inspired its design.

An example of this would be the Givenchy Anitgonia a bag which I have been eyeballing for almost three years now. However, I haven’t been able to bring myself to spend nearly $2,500 on a bag that I know is going to wave out of “style.” By this I mean the handbag will not be a timeless or collector’s piece like the Chanel Double Flap (which I own) or the Louis Vuitton Speedy. It will not retain its value or be worth more in the coming years.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great bag to have in your wardrobe, but by no means an investment piece.

That being said, I was patient, kept my eyes peeled and found the perfect dupe that mirrors the Givenchy Antigonia just a few weeks ago.

Ain’t she a beauty?

I paid just over $100 for this handbag and was so pleased to find it that I also purchased it in red. I know what you’re thinking, “Well, where did you get it?”

Here’s the details:

Fashion Drug is a clothing and accessories company based in the Netherlands, that offers designer dupes for a hell of a price. Just this year, I have purchased five bags from Fashion Drug and have been impressed every single time. It does take about 8-12 days for your purchase to arrive to the states, but it is well worth the wait.

Something important to note: Fashion Drug releases their handbags in waves of exclusivity, meaning that the bag above is no longer available – sorry babes, however, check out their website here for more options.

It’s important for me to note that there is a fine line between a dupe or designer inspired bag and a replica or fake. No judgement, but I don’t buy fake bags and don’t encourage anyone to do so. While my reasons are my own, please understand that the buying, selling and/or trade of replica or fake bags is illegal. Major fashion houses like Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Hermes spend millions every year in lawsuits to combat the replica market and if you get caught up it’s a hefty fee.

I get wanting to have the look and not being able to afford it, but it’s not worth it.

If you’re unfamiliar, a replica bag is one that is not from or a byproduct of the original fashion house and uses alternative materials or methods of creation to copy an original, patented design.

Dupes or designer inspired bags however miss the line of being a replica because though the design in similar it is not a copy of the original bag. You can see how styles trickle down, below a Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors handbag with nearly identical designs.

This is just how fashion works. Trends trickle from the top down.

If you’re anything like me and just want to serve Meghan Markle vibes all day long, it’s such a win to find these little tips and tricks to save money.